When I was in graduate school, I would take long walks in the woods. During these walks, I’d ask myself, “What am I doing this for? Is there a purpose for studying at university?” And the ego would rattle off, “Yes, you need to have a degree because you need to have a good job. Because if you want to have a relationship, you can’t be broke. This is why you are here, and this is why you have been here for ten years. Just keep at it, and we’ll get through this phase.” All of my reasons for being there were fearful, based on my fear of consequences.

Becoming aware of this poor motivation for my life got me in touch with a deep desire to open up to the guidance of Holy Spirit. I would ask, “Why am I here? Am I afraid of something? Is there something driving me to get all this education? Is there something pushing me from underneath? Am I afraid of something besides what the world would call a ‘fully engaged life?’” The more I took the questions inward, the more Jesus was able to show me that it was freedom, peace, happiness, joy, love, and intimacy that I wanted. He showed me that I had many beliefs about what one has to do in this world to get those things. And it was those beliefs that were driving me. He said: “If you listen to Me, I will show you how to experience the things you want, through Me. In other words, through listening and then following Me, it will come from the inside of your mind. It won’t come from any event or outcome in the world.”

This turned me in the right direction. In the beginning, I was astounded to see what a huge percentage of my actions were motivated by the fear of consequences. It could have been tempting to judge myself at that point, but I was determined not to do that. I was happy to discover how plugged in to the fear of consequences I was. I was happy to begin to unplug with Jesus and the Holy Spirit’s help. I found that to be very practical. It was something I could contemplate and ponder. I knew it was going to be a big job. I knew I wasn’t going to take a pill and wake up the next day free of fear. I knew it would take contemplation and mind training.

Jesus Christ is a symbol of God's eternal love and a loving guide to the remembrance of God's perfect Oneness. For the first 28 or 29 years of his life, Jesus had to go through the same trials and temptations that all human beings go through. But by following the Holy Spirit's guidance, Jesus was able to see the Face of Christ in everyone, thus recognizing the universal nature of God's love and awakening from the dream of the world. That makes him a pretty good learning model.

Jesus the Christ (Spirit) is our identity, created by God, which is eternally shared. Humans are in potential what Christ is in actuality. Jesus the man was an illusion, for a body can but symbolize what is far beyond this world: the Christ. Much can be learned by the demonstration and example of a learning model. And then, when you are ready and willing, you transcend the need for a "model" and fully accept One Self as the Living Christ.